Download EIS Reps Handbook

29. EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSThe EIS conducts a certain amount of its international work through TUC and STUC, but theprincipal avenue for this is through our affiliation to the teachers’ internationalorganisation, Education International (EI).EI is the largest of the teacher internationals and politically non-aligned. It represents theviews of member organisations to international and world bodies such as the ILO, UN,UNESCO, EC and so on. With 30 million members, it is the largest trade union specialist‘voice’ in the world.EI is also the major partner of the teacher internationals who between them provide themembership of the European Trade Union Committee on Education (ETUCE). This is theindustrial committee for the education sector of the European TUC, and the mainprofessional body consulted by the European Community in education and trainingmatters. The Maastricht Treaty brought mainstream education under the influence of theEC, and this is an area of interest which continues to expand and is likely to have greaterimportance in the coming period.The EIS is a founder member of EI and is represented on the ETUCE Executive. EIorganises seminars on topics of current interest, the documents and resolutions of whichare discussed at the European Conference. A World Assembly is held every two years.EI is the principal teachers solidarity organisation, assisting teachers and their familiesacross the world.More information on the activities of the EI is available on their web site at www.ei-ie.org .110September 2012